COMFORT CROWD [3] , jj maybank

17. family line

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

FINDING MIKE WAS MUCH harder than finding Cleo and Pope. We're walking through the damp jungle. I can feel every hair sticking to me. JJ tried to hold my hand and I had to shoo him away because I think I would've combusted if I felt his sweaty hand in mine.

   Mike leads us to a small boat, "Got anything to protect yourself?" He asks. "Uh, kinda working on that part," JJ replies. Mike hands me a bag without context. "Um," I hum, holding up the bag away from us. "Would you calm down? It's just machetes. You'll need them," Mike rolls his eyes. Like I was supposed to know the drug dealer was just simply giving us machetes. Jeez.

  "Let me see," Bailey tries to grab at the bag but I pull away from her. Her lips part as if she's offended. "You'll get one," Kie giggles at her girlfriend's antics.

   The boat looks like when you pile stuff together in a game and hope it floats. This one as of right now seems to be afloat. "I'm adding the cost of this rig to what you already owe me. I don't expect to see it again anyway. Look, I asked around at the landing today. Your buds did leave this morning, but I was able to get directions to El Tesoro. Pretty loose," Mike explains, handing JJ a map, "Only Jose knows the real way, but get you in the right zip code, maybe."

  I know he's probably doing this for that gold we promised him. That's probably the main reason he's helping but there's a small part of me that maybe just thinks Mike is helping us out of the kindness of his heart. Could be my daddy issues that let me find safety in any grown man but shit, let me get my hopes up for once. Let me have faith in humanity.

  "Thanks, Mike," I smile up at him. Mike pauses for a second, like he wants to say something to JJ and I but instead he just chuckles, "No. Don't thank me. Start praying!"

  I stare at the small gap between the boat and water. It's fine. I've done so much worse and made it out. "Hey," JJ steps onto the boat and offers his hand to me. I smile, taking the safety of his hand and getting on the rocky boat. "Thanks, sir," I joke. There's a small laugh shared between us but it's sucked out when Mike calls on us.

  "You owe me. Ten times," Mike sternly says. JJ and I nod, fully aware of what Mike is owed. "Good luck."

  "Thanks again," I say, going under the roof of the boat. With a loud grunt, Mike pushes us out and into the brown water.

  It feels like for a second or so, I can breathe. Air fills my lungs but I feel eyes on me. They're not JJ's because he's talking about some bullshit with Bailey and Kie. It's Pope.

   He's in the seat diagonally to me. Cleo is in the front of the boat, moving us through the water.

   "Pope, what?" I ask, leaning forward, "Is it about Cleo? You're into her—"